Posts Tagged ‘how to deal with parkinson’s diagnosis’

Parkinson’s: Walking The Line Between Courage And Support

Posted on January 15th, 2014 by karen

Walking The Line Between Courage And Support

For the next few weeks, we are featuring some of our favorite blogs from years past. This entry was first published by In Care of Dad on February 10, 2011.

 

by Amy Pavia

Denial is easy to come by with a Parkinson’s diagnosis. It’s not like the punch in the face that a stroke or a cancer diagnosis might deliver, where you’re forced to deal with it and make critical life and death decisions right away. It’s more like the threat of a slowly approaching storm on a clear, sunny day.

Symptoms of PD can sneak up on you and, at the beginning, can easily be blamed on something else like “my knees are getting bad with age” or “I keep tripping; I’m such a klutz!” As the disease process unfolds and symptoms worsen, often gradually, people may still be reluctant to admit something is wrong and seek treatment. It may be friends, family members, or other caregivers who are most able to see the affected person’s decline. Expressing concern is often difficult and can be a set-up for conflict and defensiveness.

Even after a diagnosis, it can be hard to accept what’s coming. People may go through a range of emotions, including fear, frustration and hopelessness. Many may even become clinically depressed. And since even experts can’t accurately predict how quickly each individual’s PD will progress, it can be a source of low-grade, chronic worry for patients and their families.

But what is most terrifying about PD, that it is a chronic condition that often progresses slowly, can also be something of a gift. Unlike acute illness or injury, PD offers an opportunity to plan and make adjustments now while your parent or loved one is able minded and bodied. Families often have time to do extensive research to find the right practitioner, thoroughly investigate treatment options and modify the affected person’s lifestyle and surroundings to improve quality of life moving forward.

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